The US Marine Corps in the Pacific

Assurance, Deterrence, and War-fighting

October 26, 2017

Lieutenant General David Berger '05, Commander, US Marine Forces, PacificModerated by Eliot Cohen, Director of the Philip Merrill Center for Strategic Studies and Robert E. Osgood Professor of Strategic Studies

The Philip Merrill Center for Strategic Studies hosted an event with Lieutenant General David Berger, Commanding General, of the US Marine Expeditionary Force in the Pacific. The event was moderated by Professor Eliot Cohen.

Berger provided an extensive overview of the global military environment and the US Marine Corps. He discussed current threats including North Korean missile launches and the need for the US to have military power that is prepared for warfare. It is important to maintain US leadership and vigilance because the world is unstable and new threats can arise at any time, Berger said.

He described the most important aspects of military success as equipment, people, and training ground; with the people being the center of focus. The benefits of the Marine Corps' partnerships with the US Navy and Army, and also with countries, are also essential to the Corps' operations, Berger said. By projecting its forces in different regions, the Corps is strategically positioned to face an attack from any angle.

Cohen and Berger concluded by answering questions from the audience, covering topics such as recent collisions of US naval ships and what they mean for military readiness, proposed capability increases by the Japanese military, and US commitment to upholding defense alliances.